Sawyer of fitchbukg



SYLViiNL-TSA SAWYER,` OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

i i Letters Patent No. ,78,238, dated Mfaj/ 26, 1868.v

IMPROVEMENT IN- anrramiicninss.

l @igt Salaris' retentit in' time ttiteis tant mit. mating niet af tigt same.

T0" ALL WHOM v:[TMAY 'CONCERNE Beit known that I, SYLYNUS SAWYER, of Fitchburg, in the county oi',,lll'orcestcrg and State of'y Massachusetts have invented certain new .and useful Improvements'fin Machines for Splitting Sticks of Rattan into Strands or Sections; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a'full, clear, and exact ydescription of the same, 'taken inconnectionwith'the accompanying ,drawings, making part of this specifica-tion, inV which- Figure 1 is a plan ofi the machine, with a part in horizontalsect-ion.

Figure 2 is 'aside elevation. u A

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the redline of figs, 1 and 2.

' The other iigures representvarious details andmodific'ations ofthe machine, which will VbeI referred to in the description. i A L 5 The subject-matter ofrmy invention relates to` the construction of 'en apparatus for splitting sticks of rattan `into strands or segments for chair-cane', so called, and for other purposes, or for splitting any other matriel for whic'ht'he .machine may be adapted and co'nsistsiuthe rst placegin-the Vuse of`a` 'series of revolving diskcutters, which have their planes of revolution parallel to the axis of the stick to Vbe splitgand arrangedradially. i around the stick, at such angular distances fap'artas will separatethe. circumference of'lthe stick into the required 'number of parts, asthestick is passed between them, in combination with -a series of adjustable guids so constructed that the said v guides shall adapt themselves to the varying'size of the stick, and so arranged Ain relation to t'he said splitters as to proscritl the stick centrally to them as itis carried forward to` be split;` and" it consists, in the second plac'e,in so connecting each revolving cutter and its guide with the other 'cuttersand` guidesot the series, that they shall be made to simultaneously approach and recede from `the centre of the' stick, so as-to keep it in 'a Central positionfwhile the said-cutters and guides can. adapt themselves to thcrar'ya i ing size of the stick andit consists, inthe third place, in combining, with a series of revolving splitting-cutters and self-adjusting guides, an annular cutter, -so arranged that. the said guides shall! present the stick centrally both to the said annular cutter and splittingeutters, as will bei described; 'audit consists, the fourth place, in the employment, in combination with a. splitting-apparatus, substantially such as is'before mentioned, of a. suitable feeding-apparatus, consisting of feedingrollers, or other equivalent means, by which the stick will be carried f orw'ard'to the cutters-to he operated upon byth'em. In the drawings, .Afre'presents the frame of "the machine, npon which the operative parts arearrangedLasj shown.: B isthe driving-shaft, to which the'powerV is applied to operate` the machine. C is a vertical shaft, gearing with 'the yshaft' Bfwhich, by means of the vgear C/, distributes the power to two series of ,feed-rollers,- D Dl and E El, arranged in. pairs on Avertical shafts, between` which the stick is seized, and carried forward through 'the machine. i 1

The proper -motion o'f these feed-rollers iis-secured by means of, the gears D2 and E2, upon the-lower ends of these shafts, and .the'intcrmediate dgears F,'which transmit the power from one` pair to another. The several pairs of rollers have their peripheries hallowed tp'rceiive .the stick, and'they are 'forced towards each-other, to gripe thej stick, by means of v rubber cushionspor other suitable springs, `placed .behind the upper `bearings of their shafts.

Between the two series 4 of feed-rollerslll)1 and E E1 4is placed the cutter-stock Gr,- in which the revolving' splitting-cutters H are arranged 'as 4show-1i, laywhich the cireumferencef'of 4the stick .is divided intoA strands. I'. lfhe' cutters H may be' used in any required number, according tothe size olf the st iekfoperatedupon, and the width to be given to the strand. Each of 'the cutters is mounted in a'slide, Lwhich is fittedto` movefradiailyj `in the stock G, 'andthe several slides are connected Abythe 'gears I', working on studs," xed in the stock, s o that they simultaneously approach and recedei'romythe centre of the stock to accommodate 4the varying size of the stick as it passes through. The eonstructionof "the `cutter-H and'guide k are seen .most clearly'iil Figures 4 and 5. i I v i The slides are forced towards the centre by 'the' leaf-springs Il', each oneof which operates two of theslides, r

stickvpasses tothe feed-rollers D D.

as shown, and its pressure is tempered bythe screw j. The motion of the slides toward the centre is limited byv adjustable stops, zf, 'at the outer ends of theslides.l t Upon .either side of the cutters H` are-placedthe guide-rollers 1;,.which bear upon the surfaces of the stick,A and keep itcentral' between the cutters. K is a tubular ,oranngilan cutter, which is held in the cutter-stock L',` as is seen in Figdres 6 and 7, and is placed with its axis in line with the centre of the stock G, and the recesses of the feed-rolls, and has an aperture throughout its length, through whichthe' pitli or central portion -of the stickpasses, while theiexterior of the stick, which has been previously divided by the revolving critters, passes. o outside ofthe cutter K,-in the ferm of separate' strands.

-Thecentralportion of the stick after leaving the cutter K passes between the feedlrolle'rs E E,'whi cl1 thus assists in lforcing the stick through the machine. 'The' strands are\directed upward above the last series of feed-rollers bythe .chute L, which gathers them after they are split olif. M is a guide, through which the In operati-ng this machine, thestick of rattan is inserted through the' guide M, between the f 'eedfro'llers D DI, which', carry ity forward to therevolvingcutte'rs, which, rolling along its surface, make a serics of longi tudinal incisions therein the position 'of the stick being maintained bythe guide-rollers Il, which rest upon its surface, upon-either side of the cutter H. By the simultaneous movement of these roller' toward and from the centre,- by means of fthe construction described, and by their yielding pressure, they serve to"lliold thc'stick centrallyjand irmly'to the cutters,'notwithstanding its varieties -ot size. f

. After the stick. has passedthe splitting-cutters, it meets the tubular cutter, which spiits'o the entire exterior of the stick, divided Yinto strands by the incisions of the splitting-cutters, while the central portion ot' the stick passes .through the tubular cutter, and between the several pairs of feeding-rolls E-E, which assist and discharge, ready forsnbseq-uent operations.

I .in carrying the stick fonward. The several strands'are, by means ofthe chute' 1L,l ed above the -fccd-r olls E-E,

This splitting-apparatus is capable of a variety of modifications in its construction, vwhile retaining its sub-l stantial character und mode of operation; as,fo r instance, instead'of forming the: guides for directing and holdingthe stick by the rollers t, upon lthe-'sides'ot' the cutters' H, guidingsurfaces maybe attached to the several'slides I, upon' either side of the cutter, which projects the required distance beyond them, as is shown in `Figuresh 9 and @Onur separate self-adjusting guides may be placed in front ofthe series of Ysplitting-cutters, as

is shown in'- Figure 8, instead of attaching them to thcslides I, in which crise the splittinglcixt'ters, after being approximately adjusted to the `size of the stick,.may be held stationary. And so ofthefceding-mechanism,

"other devices may beused .instead of the feeding-rollers, to carry the stick forward, as, for-instance, the employment ofja. pair vot' endlessapron chains,'between which vthe stick is held, and other modifications of mechanism be employed to. split -ethekinds of material and larger sticks than rattan.

vWhatlxclaln as-niy invention,,and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is 1. lhc cinIxbinatiou-ot' the series of-.r`evol\ ri ng" splitting-cutters with the series of guides, substantially as i .2.- Combining each lrevolving cutter audits guide with the other cutters 'and guides ofY the scriesyby means ofthe` gears-Lso .that'the'y shullbe made to simultaneously approach yand recede from the centre of the stick, substatiallyinthc munuerandforthe purpose described.

3; yThe -cornbinatiouzof the-. .series'of revolving splitting-eutterswitli the annular o r tubular cutter, substantiallyas described. 5 i l v.4av The-combi-nationof Athe'iievoling splitting-cutters, the 'tubular cutter, and the guides, substantially es described'. I

The combination: of kthe :splitting-apparatus, before described', with a suitable feeding-mechanism for 'carrying forwardv thev stick, substantially as described.

-Eire'cutedat Boston, this- 25th dayy of Fobru`ary, 1868.

mayblbnsly beused to elnhody the same mode 'of operation. nd such a spli'tting-apparatus may lobviously sYLvANus sAwYEu.

Witnesses:

C. A. Joann', '.WM. (L HIBBARD. 

